Advice

Expert advice to help you get the most out of stargazing, from DIY projects to practical astronomy tips.

Mercury passing in front of the Sun captured in 2006 by the Solar Optical Telescope. Credit: Hinode JAXA/NASA/PPARC

Transit of Mercury, 11 November 2019: what it is and how to see it

An image of the Sun that looks strikingly like a Halloween jack o lantern. This image was captured by NASA's SDO probe. Credit: NASA/SDO

Halloween Astronomy How to plan a spooky stargazing session

Globular clusters don’t suffer so much from lunar glare; all data for this image of M56 was captured during a full Moon. Credit: Sara Wager

Astrophoto guides

Image processing Astrophotography during a full Moon

With traditional monochrome RGB imaging you have about three minutes to take videos for all three colours, which just gives time for one red image (left); the WinJupos Image Derotate facility increases that time period. The combined image on the right was made from four red videos captured over a 15-minute period and gives a much smoother and more detailed result. Credit: Martin Lewis

Astrophoto guides

Image processing Use WinJupos to derotate your planetary images

Croatia’s Petrova gora-Biljeg is home to a war monument that’s become a mecca for astronomers and astrophotographers. Credit: Boris Stromar

The best places in eastern Europe for stargazing

Find out which planets are best to see in the night sky, October 2019. Credit: Pete Lawrence.

Observing guide The best planets to see in October 2019

A conjunction of Jupiter and the Moon. Credit: Pete Lawrence

Observing guide See conjunctions of the Moon and Jupiter, Saturn, Venus in October 2019

Controlling colour with white balance. Credit: Ian Evenden

Astrophoto guides

Image processing Controlling colour in astrophotos with white balance

Our final image. After passing the RAW file through Adobe Lightroom and adjusting highlights, shadows and saturation, the image has considerably more definition and punch. Credit: Ian Evenden

Astrophoto guides

Image processing Why should you shoot astrophotos in RAW?

Gary's final, wavelet-processed shot of the Sun possesses a great deal more detail and contrast than the starting image, shown below. Credit: Gary Palmer

Astrophoto guides

Image processing Using wavelets in RegiStax

View a double transit of Jupiter with moons Io and Europa on 24 October. Credit: Pete Lawrence.

See Jupiter’s moons cast their shadow on the gas giant

Plain illuminated partially covered by fog, soft lights. Credit: elleon / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Astrophoto guides

Image processing How to remove light pollution from astrophotos

The Moon’s craters and seas are better defined by the end of our processing. Credit: Ian Evenden

Astrophoto guides

Image processing An astrophotography guide to Photoshop Levels and Curves

A portable setup that's easy to transport makes observing at dark-sky sites much easier. Credit: Lucentius / iStock / Getty Images Plus

The pros of a portable astronomy setup

How to hold your binoculars steady during long observing sessions. Credit: Steve Tonkin

How to hold your binoculars steady